Sometimes A Look Changes Everything
by xcalilax
Summary: Tyler returns, and finds that everything has changed. Caroline/Tyler, and the aftermath of Season 2.


**A/N: Hi guys, I'm a little rusty on my Vampire Diaries drama. Hopefully this follows an okay-ish plotline. I hope you enjoy. **

**C, x.**

Tyler glanced at the worn, beige door.

This was exactly what he had been avoiding since returning to Mystic Falls three days ago.

This was the Forbes house.

He had no idea what he would say to her, or even do. All he knew was that he needed to see her. Not wanted, but needed. It was as if she had him on an undetectable, but very much present string, and the endless pulling he was feeling was becoming too much.

His trip away from Mystic Falls had been full of answers, answers that were only beginning to satisfy his need for information about his new life, but it had felt as if there was one question that he had left alone.

'Left alone for a reason' he thought, and then scalded himself. He was here, there was no going back. Plus, it might be nice to get rid of the nagging guilt that had been eating away at him since he had left, two months prior.

There was just something about her.

Perhaps it was her smile. That all encompassing, infectious, innocent smile that he thought she seemed to save just to make him go weak. Or the way she knew when to reprimand him with the right amount of humour. The delicate vampire-werewolf friendship that they had built, she had built, tentatively. Her laugh that made him melt whenever he heard it. The way he could easily get lost in her eyes for endless moments, and the fact that she wouldn't even notice because she talked so damn much.

He drew out the courage to step out of the car, and hesitated as he saw a light flick on in her bedroom. It was dark, he'd been arguing with himself all day about whether to face up to his mistake.

He knew she wouldn't believe his story, his excuse. She wouldn't accept his apology. She would slam the door in his face, and want nothing more to do with him. He knew it. But he had to try.

Taking the first few steps towards the porch, he steadied himself for battle.

'She probably was only using me to make sure that I didn't bite her or something…' he thought to himself, but quickly brushed the thought away. He knew it was only an excuse for him to try and get out of what he had to face up to, the aftermath. He'd dealt with his insecurities about their friendship, if that was what it was. He was here to repair it. Try and sew the pieces back together.

'One foot in front of the other, Tyler' he reassured himself, 'It's only Caroline.'

Before he could take another step, the door opened.

She stood there, staring at him for a full five minutes, just staring. He didn't move, he didn't dare. He used the time to just look at her from the sidewalk.

He eyes were blazing, golden brown in the porch light, and they were looking straight into his. She'd just washed her hair, he could see that the blond curls were damp, he could smell her scented shampoo. She was in her pyjamas, they were green and white, plaid shorts and a shirt, the night was warm. She bit her lip, and her brow was furrowed. He thought she was angry, he thought he could see, but quite how angry, he couldn't. More than anything she looked…vacant. Empty of emotion. Empty of anything. He wanted nothing more than to just run, run away from their friendship, run from his feelings, run from what he had done, but he knew he owed her more than that. He had let her suffer at the hands of the others; he had essentially nearly killed her. Whatever price, he'd pay it.

He took a deep breath and readied himself to talk; he thought she was waiting for him to.

'Care…' he said tenderly, and he looked into her eyes with a simple desire for forgiveness.

Hers bore back with such an electrifying anger that he stopped immediately.

She walked over to him and froze a metre in front of him, and lowered he eyes to the ground.

'What are you doing here Tyler?' she said, bluntly, but with a gentle pain that he didn't hear.

'Well, I'm back in town, for good' he said, testing the waters.

'Not in town. Here. Outside my house.'

His heart sank. For as he had expected the worst, his heart had hoped for the best. He let his eyes fall to the sidewalk, hoping his guilt wouldn't stop him from answering. He chewed on the inside of his lip and slowly braced himself for the onslaught.

When he finally looked up to answer, she was gone.


End file.
